(CNN) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee appears to be settling scores with two Republicans he battled during his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

According to Time Magazine, Huckabee takes shots at onetime rivals Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson in his new book hitting stores Tuesday, a move that is likely to fuel speculation that the former Arkansas governor still harbors White House ambitions.

On Romney, Huckabee sharply criticizes the former Massachusetts governor for shifting positions on key conservative issues shortly before he decided to run for the White House, saying his record was "anything but conservative until he changed the light bulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president."

Huckabee also lashes out at Romney for what he said was the former governor's refusal to offer congratulations when Huckabee was the surprise winner of the crucial Iowa caucuses in January. Many political observers say it was that loss that ultimately derailed Romney's bid for the Oval office.

“It’s hard to imagine Romney losing the GOP nomination after winning the Iowa caucuses,” notes CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib. “Combine Romney’s deep pockets with the momentum of an Iowa win and a campaign shifting back to Romney’s home turf for the New Hampshire primary, and the most likely scenario is a Romney nomination by Super Tuesday.”

On Fred Thompson, the former senator and television actor who jumped into the Republican presidential race significantly later than the other candidates, Huckabee calls his campaign "amazingly lackluster."

"Fred Thompson never did grasp the dynamics of the race or the country, and his amazingly lackluster campaign reflected just how disconnected he was with the people, despite the anticipation and expectation that greeted his candidacy," Huckabee writes.

soundoff(232 Responses)

Beverly in NC

The Republican party is destroying itself day by day with each person still displaying the same dirty, nasty, smear tactics we saw in the McCain campaign.
None of them can be trusted and they will never be a viable Party again until they get rid of and denounce the religious nutjobs who invaded and took away all common sense of the Republican credo.
We have freedom of religion but we also have separation of church and state for very important reasons. Americans do not like being told by a small group of religious extremists who to live their lives. It is especially infuriating when these religious nuts are so hypocritical. They try to legislate values on the rest of us while they go out and commit every trangression they rail against.
The Republican Party needs to wake up and get these crazies out of the Party. Did they not see how hated Palin was? She was rejected for her ignorance and incompetence for office but they also rejected her for her extremist religious views.
Does the Republican party not see they how disconnected they are?
They preach individual freedom but yet they demand individuals act and live as they say. They preach less government but they want to legislate our lives on abortion, gay relationships, and other areas where the government has no right to go.
When I look at the Republican Party today all I see is hatred, judgment of anyone not like them, complete hypocrisy of claiming to be so "Christain" yet they are ones showing up every day with their preachers being convicted of child abuse, gay prostitution, embezzlement, and other forms of corruption. I found it highly offensive for Palin to parade her pregnant daughter around on national TV like teenage pregnancy was a wonderful thing. Palin herself was convicted of ethics violations and abuse of power and another Republican Senator from her state is now a convicted felon.

And these people want to tell me how I should live my life and what my religious and moral values should be??

Are you kidding me? The Republican Party is full of self-righteous, corrupt, racists who cater only to old white people and relgious nutjobs. And they think they can really represent America as a real anc crediible Party?

They need to get some intelligent members of their Party together and set a completely new direction for themselves or they will cease to exist by the time the next election comes around.

November 17, 2008 09:44 pm at 9:44 pm |

billy-bayou

Forget Huckabee, we don't need a preacher in the whitehouse any more than we need that incomeing thing the stupid faction elected.
But fear not, they shall soon regret what they have sown.

November 17, 2008 09:46 pm at 9:46 pm |

Steve

REpublican Party will never survive. A new politcal party will be formed.

November 17, 2008 09:46 pm at 9:46 pm |

Jasmine in Germany

Let us finally enter the 21st Century and leave extreme right views in the Middle Ages where they belong.

November 17, 2008 09:47 pm at 9:47 pm |

Jonathan, Florida

If Thompson had not been in (wasting folk's times) Huckabee would have won South Carolina (which he barely lost to McCain anyway) causing Romney to possibly reconsider staying in for Super Tuesday. Huckabee did well on Super Tuesday even losing a few states to McCain by small percentages with Romney & Thompson hanging around and sucking votes from him.

People can say Huckabee hurt Romney – I disagree – I say Romney hurt Huckabee. McCain would have never won if Romney had dropped out after losing Iowa & New Hampshire.

Huckabee will be back in force in 2012! Hopefully the real conservatives will realize he would have handled the debates awesomely – as he did in the primaries.

Huck 2012!

November 17, 2008 09:48 pm at 9:48 pm |

Kevin in ND

Huck is as scary as Palin in his own way.

The disarming down-to-earth persona is little more than a veneer over the real ultra-right-wing idealogue that lurks beneath.

November 17, 2008 09:49 pm at 9:49 pm |

J.C.

Romney's biggest problem may be his deep pocket.

November 17, 2008 09:53 pm at 9:53 pm |

Anonymous

Please do not judge all Christians by one. Looks like we elected the best one after all, he is able to forgive,the true measure of a Christian I guess sitting for twenty years in that pew taught him some thing.

Connie from Indiana

November 17, 2008 09:53 pm at 9:53 pm |

Donkey Party

The RepubliCON party is a cancer that is eating itself away.

November 17, 2008 09:54 pm at 9:54 pm |

campy

yea ,the real deal , thats why they got blown out of the water !!!! get a clue , as was stated "we the people" are sick of the lies and deciet from the republicans ,, and I truly think thats why it was such a HUGE ,,HUGE win ,

November 17, 2008 09:56 pm at 9:56 pm |

Greg, PA

Circular firing squad.

It's amusing to watch the Republican Party implode. I'm also rather enjoying the young Republicans calling for RINOs to be ousted, only further reducing the GOP base.

November 17, 2008 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

Goodie-Ga.

HUCKABEE you need to stop and get a life. You profess to be a christain . Truly you are a nowhere what you claim to be. The bible said "We shall know them by their fruit" If this is the sour fruit that comes out of you, I wonder if thats a reflection of Jesus christ. I bet you NOT.

November 17, 2008 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Garrett

"After all, Huckabuck is a CHRISTIAN…"

You know, of course, that Huckabee and the far right Christians DO NOT represent ALL Christians, right? I mean, it seems like a pretty obvious point, but I sometimes wonder about it when I observe the vicious Christian/religion bashing on these boards.

"I just can't trust the judgment of people who take religion–institutionalised, codified, superstition–seriously."

Then don't trust 75% of the people in the US, including President-elect Obama. It is ironic that there are so many intellectual hacks that bash people and beliefs simply because they're different. I always thought true intelligence was a higher calling. Go and read Socrates and open your mind a little bit.

November 17, 2008 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Bill

Hey GARY, Shouting in all caps only serves to identify you as an idiot, as if your support of Huckabee, McCain, and Palin weren't enough of an indication.

November 17, 2008 10:00 pm at 10:00 pm |

Dave

This is why Huckabee won't ever get to the presidency. Right now what is really important is the economy, which Huckabee doesn't know much about, so his answer is to rip on Romney.

To bad Huckabee took the wind out of his sails in the primary. Romney probably would have won against Obama with his superior executive experience and economic knowledge.

November 17, 2008 10:00 pm at 10:00 pm |

Ruth

Huckabee, McCain and Palin.What a bunch of crazy Republicans.!Now I remember why I became a Democrat and voted for Obama.

November 17, 2008 10:01 pm at 10:01 pm |

Julianne

Huckabee's schtick may play well in that little red slice of America – but elsewhere, he's as far out of touch as the rest of the gop – maybe even further

huckabee is at heart a really mean man – he tries to hide it with that fake smile, but look in his eyes and you see jealousy, pettiness, and just plain mean! i am a conseervative republican but i couldn,t stand him from the first minute he came on the scene. he is jealous of romneys money, good looks and general lifestyle. he should just be thankful he has his t.v. show and be satisfied with that! the more he puts himself out there, the more ugly he is.

November 17, 2008 10:05 pm at 10:05 pm |

INDEPENDENT

HUCKABEE AND THE RIGHT WINGED REPUBLCIANS ARE LOSERS AND DON'T REPRESENT AMERICA. THE PEOPLE NEED A PEOPLES PARTY NOT A CORPORATE PARTY!

STOP THE RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN NEO CON'S AND PROTECT OUR PRESIDENT ELECT FROM THE SKIN HEADS, KKK THAT ARE ALL RIGHT LEANING GROUPS.

November 17, 2008 10:05 pm at 10:05 pm |

Rob

he's a bitter religious nutcase, get this minister a church– maybe someone will care what he has to say

November 17, 2008 10:07 pm at 10:07 pm |

Ulysses

Just put dear Hillary in the Cabinet, then you got the answer to all things.

November 17, 2008 10:13 pm at 10:13 pm |

Jen, Cali

Huckabee is FABULOUS !!!!!!!!! I LOVE his new show on Fox !!!!!!!!!!!

November 17, 2008 10:17 pm at 10:17 pm |

REPUBLIC OF TEXAS

HUCKABEE/ PALIN 2012 THE NEW REPUBLICIAN PARTY

November 17, 2008 10:20 pm at 10:20 pm |

Donna

Wow. The election isn't even two weeks behind us and this is the second report of a former candidate writing a book. These people are fast.